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“I’m freezing,” I hiss as Flareon snuggles closer. Arlo slumps in the computer chair next to the bed and sighs, exasperated.
“I’m doing my best here, okay?” He snaps as he shifts a little in his seat. “That thing could burn me alive if I get too close, you know.” I snort in response, and Flareon shoots a smug look at Arlo. I can tell he wants to help in his own way, but his fear of my Pokémon keeps sending him into stubborn brat mode. “Or should I remind you of what happened to the last hoodie that glorified mutt got a hold of?”
Flareon lashes her tail and growls, flashing her teeth. Arlo stiffens slightly and sets his jaw before raising his chin in the air, looking down on her. My turn to sigh.
“You can’t seriously try to keep blaming her for that,” I complain. “Who’s the one that left it on her bed in the first place?”
“I’m sorry, I thought she had enough of a brain to be able to distinguish the difference between bedding material and somebody’s clothing,” Arlo seethes. “Arceus knows you speak so highly of her intelligence during those little Pokémon contests you two enter.” He punctuates that last sentence with a dismissive wave of his hand.
I smirk, remembering the incident. Arlo had tossed his hoodie off during a visit a few weekends ago when we decided to get more acquainted with each other. In the middle of our rendezvous, Flareon was ready to take a nap and clearly didn’t care that his GO Rocket hoodie had fallen directly onto her bed. A moment later the smell of burning fabric had dragged us out of our little bubble of escapism. It took several minutes for us to find the source of the scorchy stench, and by the time we figured it out, the damage was irreparable. He had to beg Sierra and Cliff to keep their traps shut when he submitted a request to Giovanni for a new one, claiming it caught fire during another battle of ours. Luckily for him, the others found enough amusement in the situation that they simply laughed it off. It’s become an inside joke between the other two that Arlo can’t stand.
“From what I recall, that hoodie did technically serve as bedding material,” I purr, reaching a hand out and playing with his sleeve. “You know I love this thing, but it’s always looked much better on my floor.”
Arlo’s face flushes and he snatches his arm away. He readjusts his oversized glasses and clears his throat, and I stifle a laugh when he crosses his arms. He gives me the same look he’d given Flareon a moment ago.
“Moving on,” he mumbles, “if there isn’t anything else you need then I need to return to base sooner than later. Giovanni expects me back before noon tomorrow for a meeting with the other leaders and I don’t want to put myself on his radar more than I’ve already been lately.”
I frown and flip onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow. We stare at each other in silence for a minute before Flareon huffs and nuzzles his hand, startling him from his trance. He snaps his gaze down incredulously, then tentatively offers her an outstretched hand. I hold my breath. She leans forward again and nuzzles harder, chirping in a friendly manner. He pats her head gently and looks from her to me, eyes wide with confusion. She sneezes suddenly, and he jerks his hand back into his lap, scowling at her. I raise my eyebrows.
“And here I thought the refined, all-powerful Leader Arlo didn’t sully his hands with the fur of rural mutts,” I tease, running my hand along his thigh. “What ever happened to change the gentleman’s mind?”
Arlo grins and slips his hand over mine gently. “I’m glad you asked,” he muses, leaning over me. “I just so happened to run into a patch of woods housing a woman who’s as dangerous as she is beautiful.” His free hand caresses the side of my face. My lashes flutter as he lowers his face closer to mine.
“What’s so great about someone living and working remotely from the woods? You could easily have any woman you wanted from the city, someone who doesn’t get down on her hands and knees in the dirt and tracks who-knows-what through the house. You could even find someone who lives with a more well-behaved group of Pokémon that doesn’t destroy your stuff.” I smile sadly, avoiding his gaze. He turns his head to meet my eyes again and searches them in silence once more, his brow furrowing a bit.
“Maybe I admire the way you live so differently than I do,” he mutters. “Maybe I find your fascination with berry cultivation and wild, free range Pokémon endearing. And maybe I don’t entirely hate the idea of coming home to a house that clearly shows off the amount of love you have for this little world you’ve built for yourself,” he kisses my cheek, “even if that includes muddy tracks here and there.”
The way he trails off makes me giggle and I grab his face in my hands, a small section of his bangs untucking itself from behind his ear and tickling my nose. He smiles at me softly before continuing. “And you know, maybe I could even possibly warm up to Flareon at some point. She can be kind of cute when she’s not flailing those flames around like a maniac.”
I bury my face in Arlo’s neck and he lays across me, holding me tight. His hair smells strongly of coconut and Alolan coastal water, the sweet yet salty scent flooding my senses. I close my eyes and imagine the two of us traveling across the different regions together, the harsh demands of his job left in the dust miles behind us. I gently scratch and massage his scalp, earning a groan from him. I press a kiss to the side of his neck.
“Stay the night, please?” I implore. He exhales and sits up on the side of the bed, his face changing here and there as he weighs his options for the evening.
“I dunno,” he starts, rubbing the side of his neck with his hand. “I’m mainly concerned at this point about that one ruining my clothes again.” He nods toward Flareon who is now zeroed in on Umbreon’s paw swiping frantically underneath the door. “If you think she can keep from burning through my things, I might consider taking you up on the idea.”
I roll my eyes and sit up again, tugging at the hem of his hoodie. “If you think you can manage to hang this up instead of leaving it sprawled out for passing Pokémon to use as a cushion, then you might actually have a pretty decent night’s sleep. And I don’t want you trying to navigate that balloon when it’s pitch dark out. That thing is already a death trap as it is.”
Arlo scoffs and stands, removing his clothes before folding them neatly on the dresser and topping them with his glasses. He flips the light switch off and climbs into bed next to me. Flareon notices and readjusts to loaf right on top of his feet. “How’s that?” He asks as he wraps me in his arms and molds himself to me.
“Much better,” I breathe, already reveling in the comfort of his body heat and his hands roaming me. “I was almost certain you’d go back tonight.”
He flicks my forehead softly and positions his lips against my ear. “Wild Rapidash couldn’t keep me from you,” he whispers. Shivers trickle up my spine and I arch into his touch. “I might not always know how to help when you’re feeling sick, but I can at least be here in case you need me to bring you anything.”
“And what if you get sick too?” I quip, suddenly feeling guilty for asking him to stay overnight. He nips my earlobe and huffs out a breath.
“Then I get sick,” he grunts. “We can worry about it if it ends up happening. In the meantime, let’s try to get to sleep before Noctowl wakes up. Flareon’s bad enough by herself; The two of them together would be absolutely insufferable.”
“Okay,” I hum and burrow into my pillow, the soft fabric cradling my head in just the right spot. Arlo and I both yawn at the same time, and the sound of Flareon’s breathy snoring begins to lull me closer to sleep. I feel Arlo trail gentle kisses along my shoulder and I smile. Our hands entwine once more, the simple gesture making my heart swell.
“Goodnight, Arlo.”
“Goodnight, Trainer.”